The emerging role of the nitrate and peptide transporter family: NPF in plant specialized metabolism. (August 2022) - Kanstrup, Christa
Abstract: The nitrate and peptide transporter family (NPF) is one of the largest transporter families in the plant kingdom. The name of the family reflects the substrates (nitrate and peptides) identified for the two founding members CHL1 and PTR2 from Arabidopsis thaliana almost 30 years ago. However, since then, the NPF has emerged as a hotspot for transporters with a wide range of crucial roles in plant specialized metabolism. Recent prominent examples include 1) controlling accumulation of antinutritional glucosinolates in Brassica seeds, 2) deposition of heat-stress tolerance flavonol diglucosides to pollen coats 3) production of anti-cancerous monoterpene indole alkaloid precursors in Catharanthus roseus and 4) detoxification of steroid glycoalkaloids in ripening tomatoes. In this review, we turn the spotlight on the emerging role of the NPF in plant specialized metabolism and its potential for improving crop traits through transport engineering. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: NPF is a hotspot for transporters controlling inter-and intracellular movement of plant specialized metabolites. Characterizing NPF provides insights into the spatiotemporal orchestration of plant specialized metabolism. NPF transporters in plant specialized metabolism are high affinity and specific. Almost all major classes of plant specialized metabolites are transported by members of the NPF. NPF - unexploited repository of breeding targets to meet demand for increased yield, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance.